UMC, out now

NB This review mentions a number of the track titles for the new Star Wars soundtrack, which some may view as spoiler-ific. If you don’t want to be spoiled at all for the new film, don’t read on until later…

John Williams scores his eighth Star Wars movie – seamlessly blending his themes and motifs from across the huge body of work that he has created for this universe. But while lesser artists might see this as the opportunity to kick back, cut and paste what they’ve previously delivered, the veteran maestro still comes up with original compositions.

There’s an awful moment in Star Wars: The Last Jedi when you realise that there are very few artists/actors who have been there since the beginning. Anthony Daniels as C-3PO is one of the originals, but R2-D2 is no longer played by the late Kenny Baker, Chewbacca is no longer Peter Mayhew (and wasn’t in all the prequels anyway), so hooray for John Williams, our guide since 1977. It’s not the Force that’s the energy field that binds the galaxy together – it’s John Williams’ scores.

Is there any greater thrill than watching that opening fanfare blast in the cinema as the Star Wars logo is replaced by the tapering opening crawl, with CAPITALISED words in seemingly endless sentences, segueing into a secondary theme that drops us right into the action? This time we’re thrust into the First Order’s pursuit of the Resistance, and among the brassy flourishes are re-statements of The Force Awakens’ March of the Resistance. Ahch-To Island then takes us back to The Jedi Steps from Force Awakens’ finale, occasionally interpolated with Luke’s theme from A New Hope.

Revisiting Snoke uses low-register male choral droning to underscore its villain, but just wait until you get that glorious restatement of Leia’s Theme in The Supremacy. Fun with Finn and Rose gives Williams the opportunity to introduce a flighty new theme for Kellie Marie Tran’s new character, while The Rebellion is Reborn is a rousing, optimistic anthem for our desperate, dwindling heroes, not without flourishes akin to Williams’ Amazing Stories Theme. Canto Bight is the home of an opulent casino, underscored with a funky steel band and maracas mambo – file it with the works of Max Rebo and the Modal Nodes.

The Sacred Jedi Texts features a certain theme that is is far too much of a spoiler, suffice to say it is very welcome. A New Alliance presents more frenetic action, weaving in the musical DNA of those joining forces, while Chrome Dome is a drum-heavy anthem for the shiny Captain Phasma. The six-minute Battle of Crait throws in the March of the Resistance, the Rebellion is Reborn and individual character themes. And just you wait for A New Hope’s TIE Fighter Attack to burst into the mix – you’ll likely be grinning like a fanboy. And then The Spark brings in the motif previewed in the trailer, a slow-building precursor to… something happening. No spoilers.

There’s some epic work in The Last Jedi as full orchestra and choir throw all their weight behind the movie’s climax. If you haven’t by then already fallen for this album’s charms, the glorious return of Binary Sunset in Finale should seal the deal.

Verdict: As always, John Williams’ score is the most consistently impressive ingredient in a new Star Wars movie. Blending new and old, Williams has a magical formula that keeps on giving.  10/10

Nick Joy